3 reasons why India should not remove KS Bharat for the third Test against England
3 reasons why India should not remove KS Bharat for the third Test against England
Since Rishabh Pant’s tragic injury, Team India has experienced constant wicketkeeping issues. The problem has just gotten worse, with KS Bharat not contributing much right from the off. And Ishan Kishan being out of the picture.
India’s only other alternative is the uncapped Dhruv jurel.
According to reports, the team management has run out of patience with KS Bharat.
And is considering inserting Jurel into the side for the forthcoming third Test in Rajkot, which begins on February 15.
KS Bharat is on thin ice, but with so many changes looming for the Indian team due to injury. One wonders if it is prudent to throw yet another unknown component into the mix for what is undoubtedly a must-win game.
On that line, let’s look at three reasons why India should not drop KS Bharat for the third Test against England.
1. His glovework remains immaculate
So far, KS Bharat has performed admirably in his major job within the squad, which is to keep wickets.
It is no easy task to don the gloves in the treacherous subcontinent circumstances. But Bharat has been at comfortable in his job and has also been consistent in his contributions to DRS calls.
His challenger, Dhruv Jurel, has only kept wickets in red-ball cricket for the past two years, including 15 first-class matches.
Although he has kept on subcontinent pitches, his experience is unrivaled when compared to Bharat, a home circuit veteran with 96 first-class matches under his belt.
2. England are also following the same formula
England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes has scored 12 less runs than KS Bharat in the series, but he is still the unquestioned gloveman.
Even though England has an intriguing possibility in Jonny Bairstow, they have chosen to stick with their specialist keeper.
Although there is a gap between England and India’s batting units in terms of current form and experience.
The hosts have enough armament to play the better keeper rather than the better hitter among Bharat and Jurel.
Yes, India’s batting order has suffered, but the newcomers are playing in familiar circumstances and are expected to rival England’s batting unit, despite their inexperience.
Furthermore, the Indian batting order has ample depth, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel being good batsmen.
If Ravindra Jadeja returns to the lineup, the Indian side’s batting and bowling will be strengthened, as would KS Bharat’s case.
If he goes on to play in the third test, there will undoubtedly be a vigilant pair of eyes fixated on his performance.
3. Rajkot is an ideal avenue to be back among the runs
The pitches for the two Tests have not been particularly fast, but they have also not been ideal for batting.
While it is uncertain what the surface for the third Test will be, Rajkot has historically had one of India’s strongest batting surfaces.
If this pattern continues, it will assist several Indian hitters, including Bharat, who are searching for runs.
Such conditions are likely to benefit England, but the teams do not have complete control over the weather, and only time will tell.
Bharat was not far behind in Hyderabad during the first Test, when he scored two solid runs, one of which was one of his best in international cricket.
A more proactive batting approach may assist both him and the team’s cause, and a strong batting surface is ideal for implementing such a style of play.
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